Beet topper



1953 H- E. ALTGELT 2,660, 3

BEET TOPPER Filed Oct. 7, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l N INVENTOR.

HERMAN E. ALTGELT Gig/w ATTORNEYS H. E. ALTGELT Dec. 1, 1953 BEET TOPPER4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7. 1949 I INVENTOR.

HERMAN E. ALTGELT 6% l TORNEYS FIG. 3

1953 H. E. ALTGELT 2,660,853

, BEET TOPPER Filed Oct. 7, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 LVl-"ENTOR. HERMAN E.ALTGELT Dec. 1, 1953 H. E. ALTGELT 2,

BEET TOPPER Filed Oct. 7, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 INVEN TOR. HERMAN E.ALTGELT over larger or smaller beets.

' whereby the out tops are to a point of discharge.

Patented Dec. 1, 1953 BEET TOPPER Herman E. Altgelt, Moline, Ill.,assignor to Deere &

The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements andmore particularly to harvesters for harvesting root crops, such as sugarbeets, in which one preferred way of harf vesting is to cut off thefoliage and a small portion of the beet crown before digging the beetsfrom the ground.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a new and improved topper for removing the tops from the beets whilethey are still in the ground. More specifically, a further feature ofthis invention is the provision of a topping device in whichtop-severing means is movable vertically under the control of afinder'unit which passes along the row and rises and falls in responseto the passage of the unit More particularly, it is a feature of thisinvention to provide means picked up and delivered A further importantfeature of this invention is the provision of means whereby the finderunit includes parts which also function as a part of the top-handlingmeans whereby the construction is simplified and the cost of the machineis materially reduced. Still further, another feature of this inventionis the provision of means facilitating the movement of the tops from thefinder means over onto the conveyor which moves the tops away from themachine.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with g theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a beet topper with parts removed in which theprinciples of the present invention have been incorporated.

' Figure 2 is a sectional view with parts removed,

taken along a generally vertical, fore and aft extending plane, showingthe top holddown means carried by the finder unit and movable relativeto the lower forward end of the top elevator.

Figure 3 is a side view of the rear portion of the machine shown inFigure 7.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the topping knife unit.

Figures 5 and 6 show the knife lengths from g which the rightandleft-hand knife sections are formed.

Figure '7 is a plan view drawn to a smaller scale of the harvester shownin Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figure l, the frame of thebeet topper indicated Company, Moline, 111., a. corporation of Illi-Application October 7, 1949, Serial-No. 120,114 9 Claims. (01. 56121.45)

in its entirety by the reference numeral 'I and includes a pair ofgenerally fore and aft extending frame bars 2 connected together attheir rear ends by a rear frame angle 3 and including upwardly andforwardly bent sections 4 at the forward ends of which a crossbar in theform-of a round shaft member 5 is connected. Two pairs of apertured lugs'l are secured, as by welding, to

" the forward crossbar 5, the lugs being apertured links I I areconnected to the forward portion of to receive pivot means 9 by which apair of draft the frame I. The forward ends of the draft links II areconnected to draft brackets I2 which are 7 adapted to be secured to arear axle I3 of a propelling tractor, which is indicated in its entiretyby'the reference numeral I4. The latter is of conventional construction,so far as the present invention is concerned, and is of the typehaving apower lift device I5 which includes a transverse power-operatedrockshaft I6 and a control therefor, including a valve lever I'I,whereby the rock- 1 shaft I6 may be rocked by the power of the trac- 1tor for the purpose of raising and lowering tools and other unitsconnected to the tractor.

The rear end of the frame I is supported on a groundengaging means inthe form of a caster wheel 2| secured to the lower end of a caster wheelaxle member 22 the upper spindle portion 23 of which is disposed in avertical bearing sleeve 24 which forms a partof a bearing bracket 25secured to the rear end'of the frame I in any suitable way.

- A sector 26 is fixed to the bracket 25 and pivotally receives a handlever 28 which includes conventional detent mechanism cooperating withthe sector 26 for locking the hand lever 28 in different positions ofadjustment. The hand lever 28 1 includes a bifurcated section 3| towhich a swivel member 32 is pivotally connected, the member 32 beingconected to the upper end of the spindle section 23 of the caster wheelaxle member 22,

whereby changing the position of the lever 28 serves to raise and lowerthe rear end of the frame relative to'the supporting caster wheel 2 I.

The frame I also includes a pair of vertical plates 36-fixed,"as bybolts 31, at their lower portions to the forward portions of the framebars 2. The plates 36 extend upwardly and at their upper ends aresecured by bolts 38 to the forward end of upper fore and aft extendingframe bars 33 which at their rear ends are interconnected bya crossbarand by a pair of vertical bars/42 to the rear portions of the mainframebars 2.

A pair of rigid elevator sides 4| are connected by the bolts 38 to theframe I at the upper ends of the vertical'plates 36, and the lowerportions scribed above.

bar unit indicated by-the like.

reference "numeral on which toothed flights are mounted. Apair rotatablymounted on Y of idler sprockets 53 are fixes the associated knifesection to its knife shank TI. The upturned portion of the right handknife section 81 is indicated at 88 in Figures 1, l and 5, and the sledrunner front end is indicated by the reference numeral 89 in Figure 1.The upturned portion of the left-hand knife section 85 is shown at 88 inFigure 6. In Figzurei2, the. sled runner'fron't end of the left-hand theelevator side members; 41 so as to dispose the lower forward portions ofthe elevator chains and associated flights for movement in apredetermined path generally arcuateabout an axis. extending through thelowermost portions 'of the vertical frame plates 35, as will beexplained in more detail below. Therear portions of the fore ,andaftextending frame bars 2 carry a transverse top conveyor unit :55 7 and*rear side members which includes rigid front 56 and .51 fixed to theframe I andreceivingtherebetween a conveyor comprising conveyor chains58 and toothed flights59, which may be substantially like the elevatorchains 48 and associated structure de- Stripper bars are disposed between each row of elevator teeth 5 I, each stripper reference numeral66.

- Each stripper bar- 60 comprises a strap member -6I shaped as bestshown in Figure 2 with a forward curved section 62, alower upwardlyextending section 63 fixed by connectors to a crossbar 65 carried bytheframe plates 35, and an upper I curved stripping section 51 terminatingin a downwardly and forwardly extending section 68 which is fixed in anysuitable manner to the forward conveyorsidernember'56, as by bolts orthe Stripper bars a, similar to the stripper bars 50 justdescribed, arecarried by or form a part of the conveyor unit and are disposed betweenthe teeth oftheponveyor flights 59, as best shown in Fligures land '7.At one end each of the bars IiI'Id are fiXed,.-asat 50b, to the end; Vsheet GUcof the conveyor 55.

As best shown in Figures land 2, connected to the forward frame plates36 is a beet topper and finder. wheel unit-indicated in its entirety bythe 10. This unit includes a pair of vertical knife shanks II, eachcarrying a generally triangular plate :12 at its lower end. Each ,shank'IIis connected to the'frame I byxupper .andlower links or'arms I3 andI4 pivotally connected, as at I5 and 16,- to the associated vertical Ifinder wheel unit It! to shift in a generally vertical directionrelative to the frame I. A counter ,r balancing spring 8 I is-connectedat its lower end 1 to each of the upper links 13 and is connected at 3"its upper end toa bracket 82 by an adjusting eye- -bolt 83. The bracket82 is fastened to the frame I by the bolts 38.

'As best shownin Figure 4, atopping knife unit 85 is' fixed to the lowerportions of the knife shank plates I2. The topping knife unit 85comprises a pa r of knife sections 86 and 8l of generally arcuateformation and each including, an

upturnedv portion formed with a sled runner front v end'and secured,as-by rivets or the like, toa generally H L-shaped attachingplate 9Iwhich is aperturedto receive a pair of attaching bolts, 92 which plateknife section 86 is shown at 89. Preferably, the

upper bolt-receiving aperture in each attaching BI is slotted, as at 93,and the lower boltreceiving aperture in each knife shank plate I2 isalso slotted, as indicated at 94, thereby providing for generallyvertical adjustment of the asso- ,.ciated knife section.

As best shown in Figure 4, each of the knife sections 86, and 8I extendsrearwardly and laterally inwardly from the associated bracketsectionifiiloat a fairly small angle, as indicated at 90,

but at the points where the knife sections approachlone-another, the endportions of the "knife sections are'fairly-narrow and aredisposedsubstantially at right angles to the lineof advance, thesegenerally transverse portions of the knife sections being indicated bythe reference numerals 96 and 96'. The ends96 and 96' are shaped asshown in Figure 4, being curved as indicated at 91 and 91" at-theforward corners, forming a fairly narrow throat. Rearwardly of thethroat 98 the ends SIS-and 96' of the knife sections taper rearwardly,diverging rearwardly' from the throat 98. The rearwardly diverging edges99 and 99 facilitatethe passage of trash and the like rearwardly fromthe throat 98, the forward curved sections 91 and '9'! facilitating thepassage of trash and the'like through the space between the ends of theknife sections. The trash, such as streamers, leaves and the like,

5 are directed generally towards the throat 98' by Y respecttothedirection of travel,

virtue of the forward portions of the blade sections, which, :makingafairly small angle with serve as means for guiding thetrash and the liketoward the space between the knifeends. Yet, by virtue of the knife endsections95, and 96' being generally transversely disposed with respectto the direction of travel, the knife passes rapidly through the crownportion of the beets being toppedand without tending to cause the beetsto break and without interfering with theup-and-down movement of theknifesections under the control of beet-crown engaging finder wheelsdescribed v below. Trash and the like do not tend tohang "frame p1ate336and at -'I-' I- and 18 to the associated shank II; The pivot points arearranged so that the links I3 and 14 remain in substantiallyparallel-position while permitting the topping and r of the machine, and

onto thefransverseportionsof the knife sections because the passage-ofthe knife sections through the'bodyv of the beet-tends to remove anytrash that otherwiseimight tend to remain on the ends of theknifesections. Those portions of the knife sections which ordinarily arenot contacted by the beet bodiesare, as mentioned above, disposed at afairlysmall angle, as indicated at 90, with respect to'the direction oftravel hence; trash does not tend to hang onto these portions of theknife sections,

The lower links "I4 ofthe parallel linkstructure I3, 14, connecting theunit "II! to the frame of the machine, constitute a finder wheel frameand are extended forwardly toprovide bearing means in which afinderwheel shaft IIII is wn ed for-ro ation, the. f rward portions ,of thelinks I4 then being extended upwardly/ as at I02, andaperturedto receivea transversely disposed bolt member 1.03. A plurality of toothed finderwheels are fixed to the shaft IOI between vtheforward portions ,of thelinks 14. The

.outer end of the shaft IIH take-off shaft I I3 of the tractor.

carries'a sprocket pinion I06 which is driven by a chain IIl'I. The.rear portion of the latter is trained over a sprocket pinion I08 fixedto a drive shaft its supported for rotation in the lower portions of the5 forward frame plates 36. The shaft I09 is driven in any suitable way,as by a vertical shaft and a pair of bevel gear sets S, from a fore andaft extending drive shaft I I I which, in turn, is driven by atelescopic shaft unit II 2 from the power.

The shaft 45 at the forward upper portion of the frame I, which drivesthe elevator chains 48, is driven by a chain II6 which is trained at itsupper end over a sprocket shaft 46 and at its lower end over an idlersprocket II8 which disposes the chain H6 in driving engagement with adriving sprocket II9 fixed to the drive shaft I09.

The finder wheels I05 are disposed just above the knife sections 85 and8'! and are arranged so thatthe teeth of the finder wheels engage theupper portions of the beet crowns, riding up on or crown portion of eachbeet during the progress of the machine. The driving mechanism,including the sprockets and sprocket chains mentioned above, are soconstructed and arranged that the finder wheels are driven slightly inexcess of ground speed, whereby the finder wheels exert a positiveeffort to cause the knives to approach and top the beets by removing theleaves of the beet tops and a portion of the beet crown. In riding uponto and off of the beets the finder wheels cause the lower links 74 toswing generally vertically about an axis BX-g' 5 tending through thepivots 76, the upper links 13, being parallel to the lower links '54,partaking of the same movement. This serves to hold the knife shanks Hin a vertical position, whereby the vertical movements of the knifesections 86 and 87 are somewhat less than the corresponding verticalmovements of the finder wheels I05, the proportion of finder wheelmovement to knife movement corresponding to the proportion of thedistance from the pivots I6 to the shaft IUI with respect to thedistance from the pivots IE to the pivots 73. It will be seen fromFigure 2 that the curved portions 62 of the stripper bars 6| are arcuateabout the axis 76 as a center.

Stripper means is provided forwheels I95 and, as best shown in Figure 2,comprises a plurality of arcuate stripper bar sections I25, the upperportions of these sections being arcuate about the axis 16 as a center,the,-v lower portion of each finder wheel stripper bar" or hold-downstrap 525 being curved downwardly and forwardly with respect to theteeth of the finder wheels and then curved upwardly and fixed, as bywelding, to a collar I27 which is disposed about the adjacent hubsections of the associated finder wheel. As will be clear from Figure 2,the upper portions of the several bars I25 serve to hold the tops,stripped from the finder wheels I by the lower portions of their; barsI25, against theteeth M as the latter move around the curved sections 62of the stripper bars BIB. Also secured to each of the collars I21 is abracket I28, the upper ends 'of which are apertured to receive the boltI 03.

the upper 'member carries a plurality of bushings ISI disposed betweenthe upper ends of the several brackets I28, whereby when the bolt It? istightened, the several stripper bar brackets I28 are securely fixed inposition, one relative 13075 the teeth 5I of the II! fixed to the outerend of the 1ing between the stripper bars I25 and the assothe power liftrockshaft x1 5 the finder The latter celerated movement issubstantially'terminated at about the point where the teeth 5i the beettops stripped off 'wardly extending bracket sections I32 are fixed tothe brackets I28 and at their rear ends are fixed, as by welding, to thelower portions of the curved finder wheel stripper bars I25.

The finder wheel'stripper bars I25 function to strip the tops, cut offby the knife sections 86 and 87, from the finder wheel teeth and guidethem into a position where they are engaged by conveyor 60. Since thestripper bars I25 are arcuate about the axis 76 as a center, up-and-downswinging movement of the finder wheel structure relative to the elevator60 does not cause any variation in the spacalso in a position which isgenerally arcuate about the axis :76 as a center, corresponding to thecurvature of the adjacent stripper bar sections 62 of the elevatorstripper bars iii.

The front end of the topper frame I is raised and lowered about its rearwheel support 2I by means of a pair of links I35 which are connected attheir lower ends to the cross-bar 9 and at their upper ends to arms I36that are fixed to the tractor power lift rockshaft I6. The lowerposition of the front end of the frame I is determined by a chain I4!which is connected at its upper end, at any one of a plurality of pointsI42, to the upper portion of the associated bracket I2, the chain I4Ibeing connected at its lower end to the associated draft link II, asbest shown in Figure 1. An auxiliary arm member I44 is also fixedadjacent its forward end to I6 on the tractor and is extended rearwardlybeyond the rear end of the lifting arm I36. The rear end of theauxiliary arm member I44 is connected by a chain I46 to the upper endsof the knife shanks H by any suitable means, such as a cross shaft I41.Nor.. mally, the chain I 46 is slack so that up-and-down movements ofthe finder wheel and topping knife unit are accommodated, under thecontrol of the driven finder wheels I 05.. However, when it is desiredto raise the topper into an inoperative or transport position by upwardmovement of the lifting arms- I36, the longer auxiliary arms I44 take upthe slack in the chain I45 and then raise the finder wheel and toppingknife unit to a distance greater than the distance to which the frontend of the frame is raised by operation of the lifting arms I36. Thiselevates the finder wheels and knives to such a position that they donot tend to catch trash and the like during transport of the machinefrom one field to another, along lanes and the like. In one form of theinvention the ratio of finder wheel move ment to knife movement isapproximately four to three.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the teeth arcuate about the axis 556as a center, from. the lower idler sprockets 4'! to the upper idlersprockets 53 while the prongs 5I, where they are swung around the axisof the lower idlers 4"! at the lower end of the elevator, move with arapidly accelerated movement but that this acge by the lower portions ofthe curved finder wheel stripper bars I25. This results in a fairlyuniform movement of' the 1 the subsequent machine.

' conveyor -wheel unit so as to pick up topping knife connected toarmyand top-engaging and conveying means carried by said frame andincluding a portion means carried at the outer top-engaging andconveying means carried by dotted lines in I Figure '2 where move alongthe arcuate finder wheel stripper bar sections I25.

The tops conveyed upwardly by the elevator'60 :are delivered by thestripper bar sections 61' into the'transverse conveyor 55. Rearwardly ofthe "latter unit I provide "indicated'in its entirety by the referencenumeral a beet crown scarifying unit 1 50 (Figure 3) portion of thewhich is supported by the rear frame I and driven by a suitableextension I51 of the power shaft Ill (Figure l). Preferably, the unitwhich serves the purpose of i5 mm the form of a heater cleaning offdirt, leaves and the like from the upper cut ends of the -beet bodies,whereby in the subsequent operation of lifting and harvesting the beetsthe beet row may readily be seen by the operator of However, the presentinvention is not concerned with the particular details per-se of theunit I50.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, iti's'to be understood that my inventionis not to be limited to theparticular details, shown and described above, but that, in fact, widelydifferent means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspectsof my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure :by Letters Patent is:

1. A beet topper comprising a frame, a vertically adjustable toppingknife, a generally vertically adjustable finder wheel unitinterconnected with said topping knife for varying the position of thelatter, said finder wheel unit ineluding one or more prongedtop-engaging wheels, means for rotating the latter to engage the beettops removed by said topping knife, means for receivingthe tops fromsaid finder wheel unit and including conveyor chains having top-engagingfingers the outer ends of which, at the lower forward part of saidconveyor means, extend forwardly toward and pass relatively close to theprongs on the adjacent portions of the top-engaging wheels of the finderbeet tops from said finder wheel unit, and means rotatable about an axisparallel to the axis of said finder wheels for supporting the forwardportions of said conveyor chains.

2. In a beet topper, a frame, an arm pivoted thereto for generally upand down swinging about "a generally transverse axis, beet-engagingfinder means carried at the outer end of said arm, a be positioned bysaid adjacent said finder means movable in a path that is generallyarcuate about said axis as a reenter.

. 3. In a beet topper, a frame, an arm pivoted thereto for generally upand down swinging about a generally transverse axis, top pick-up end ofsaid arm, and

said frame and inoluding'a portion adjacent said top'pick-up means andmovable in a path that vis generally arcuate about said axis as acenter.

4. In a beet topper, a frame, an "arm pivoted thereto for generally upand down swinging about a generally transverse axis, top pick-up meanscarried at the outer end of said arm, topengaging and conveying meanscarried by said.

' and having parts frame and including-a portion sadjacent'saidftoppick-up means and movable in azpath that :is generally :arcuate aboutsaid axis as a center, and top hold-down means carried .by said armdisposed closely adjacent said arcuate portion of ing means andextending in concentric relationship with said .arcuate portion aboutsaid axis as a center.

5. In a beet topper, a main frame, a finder wheel frame pivoted to themain frame for gen- .erally up and down movement abouta generallytransverse horizontal axis, a plurality of pronged finder wheelsrotatably carried at the outer portion of .said finder wheel frame, atopping knife disposed adjacent the lower portions of said finder wheelsandconnected with said finder wheel frame 'to be positioned by said"finder wheels, means for driving said finder wheels a top-engaging and.conveying means carried by said main frame in stationary relationshiprelative to said finder-wheel frame and including a portion movable magenerally circular path about said axis as a center, and top hold-downstraps fixed to said finder wheel frame and having portions curvedandextending in concentric relationship about said axis .as a center.

6. A beet topper adapted to be connected-to the rear of a tractorhaving'a power lift device, said beet topper comprising a frame,draftmeans for connecting the frame to the tractor, groundengaging meanssupporting the rear end of said frame, means including anarm connectiblewith the power lift device and with the front end 'of the topper framefor supporting the front endof said topper frame, movement of saidpower-liftactuated arm serving to raise and lower said frame, a toppingknife movably carried by said frame, a beet-engaging finder unitinterconnected with said knife for controlling the position of thelatter, and an extension on said arm connected with said knife andfinder unit for raising them concomitantly with but farther than thefront end of said frame is raised by the operation of said power liftdevice.

'7. A beet topper adapted to be connected to the I rear of a tractorhaving a power lift rockshaft and an arm fixed thereto, said beet toppercomto be connected at "its means supporting the rear end of said frame,generally vertically extending link meansfifor connecting the front endof said frame with said power lift arm, movement of saidpower-liftactuated arm serving to raise and lower said frame, a' toppingknife movably carried by said frame, a beet-engaging finder unitinterconnected with said knife for controlling the position of .thelatter, and for connecting said knife and finder unit with said powerlift arm at a point outward of said link means for raising said knifeand finder unit concomitantly with but farther than the front end ofsaid frame is raised by the operation of said power lift rockshaft andarm.

8. In a'beet topper, a frame, an arm pivoted thereto for generally upand down swinging about a generally transverse axis, to pick-up-meanscarried at the outer end of said arm beyond said frame, a pair of curvedmembers supported by saidv frame adjacent said top'pick-up means, thecurved portions of said .members being arcuate about said transverseaxis,'and top-engaging and the top-engaging and convey- 9. A beet topperadapted to be connected to the rear of a tractor having a power liftdevice, said beet topper comprising a frame, draft means for connectingthe frame to the tractor, groundengaging means supporting the rear endof said frame, means including an arm connectible with the power liftdevice and with the front end of the topper frame for supporting thefront end of said topper frame, movement of said power-liftactuated armserving to raise and lower said frame, a topping knife movably carriedby said frame, a beet-engaging finder unit interconnected with saidknife for controlling the position of the latter, a member connected tomove with said arm by the operation of said power lift device, saidmember having an end movable through a distance greater than thedistance through which said arm moves, and means connecting said end ofsaid member with said knife and finder unit for raising themconcomitantly with but farther than the front end of said frame israised by the operation of said power lift 'devic e.

HERMAN E. ALTGELT.

Number Name Date 25,312 Aylesworth Sept. 6, 1859 951,476 King Mar. 8,1910 999,381 Lotter Aug. 1, 1911 1,113,944 Auble Oct. 20, 1914 1,220,977Goulet Mar. 27, 1917 1,366,477 Moreschini Jan. 25, 1921 9, Wilson Feb.22, 1921 1,376,461 Prose May 3, 1921 1,831,658 Groenig Nov. 10, 19312,364,312 Patterson Dec. 5, 1944

